Chinese capital battles jump in virus cases as infections ease elsewhere

Security personnel wearing face masks are seen at a checkpoint at the entrance of a residential compound, as the country is hit by an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, in Beijing, China February 21, 2020. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

BEIJING (Reuters) - The number of people who have contracted the coronavirus in the Chinese capital has jumped sharply, including more than 30 in an outbreak at a major hospital, while many other parts of the country are reporting fewer or no new infections.

Officials on Friday reported one new case in Beijing as of Feb. 20, bringing the total in the city to 396, with four dead.